


Paw the Way (to Love)

by lalalenii



Category: Glee
Genre: Alternate Universe, Cats, M/M, Meet-Cute, Pets
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-08-16
Updated: 2015-08-16
Packaged: 2018-04-15 02:06:34
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,984
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4588950
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/lalalenii/pseuds/lalalenii
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>When Kurt's cat keeps disappearing he's mad at first, but he's not anymore once he realises where his bi-weekly rescue operations lead him.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Paw the Way (to Love)

**Author's Note:**

> A meet cute with kittens! Two of my favourite things! I hope you enjoy his as much as I did writing it!

When Fiyero disappears for the third time in two weeks, Kurt starts to worry. At first he though the cat was merely exploring the new neighbourhood in Lima, even if it it’s within walking distance from their old house that he and his family gave up for a bigger one a month ago. But he has been gone for two days now this time and what if he doesn’t find their new home? When he calls his dad at the garage out of panic, he suggests to look around their old house – it’s barely 15 minutes on foot and they’d lived there for years, so he might be looking for the comfort of his old territory. Kurt doubts that he’ll find his cat there – when did his father become an expert in cat psychology anyway? But out of lack of anything else to do, he goes.

Turns out his dad was right. Kurt’s both relieved and mad when he finds the black cat stalking around in his former neighbour’s garden. Thankfully, the cat lets himself be lured to the street, then caught and carried home without too much struggle. Kurt looks him over. He seems healthy, aside from a bit of dirt in his dark fur, but not starved or anything. Which is … weird, but Kurt supposes he caught some mice, and after all, cats are supposed to be able to go on without food a long time.

Fiyero keeps disappearing, though, and Kurt is starting to get annoyed. His cat has everything he needs here, so why does he go back to their old home all the time? He never thought a cat could hurt his pride, but it does. Not to mention going out to catch his cat every second day is time consuming. He’s forced to speed up either his homework (which he can’t really afford in his senior year) or night-time beauty regime (which he also isn’t very keen on). One time Kurt decides to wait if Fiyero will come back on his own but he doesn’t. For four days. That’s how long Kurt makes it without missing his feline roommate too much.

Carole suggests locking the cat in for a few days until it gets used to the new house but the first night he just sits and meows miserably (and loudly) so Kurt is forced to go and pick it up again.

\--

“Crap!” Kurt hisses. He’s out to catch Fiyero yet again, but the cat is exceptionally stubborn today, refusing even his favourite treat and hissing at Kurt. And now it ran into their old garden. He throws a hesitant look at the house – the driveway seems empty. The garden is accessible from the street and since Kurt lived there for several years he knows how to reach the bolt from the outside.

Kurt slips in, closing the door so Fiyero won’t escape back to the street so easily. He sees the cat stalk through where his vegetable patches used to be (and from the looks of it the new owners planted vegetables again Kurt notices with satisfaction) and sets down the transport box next to the fence.

“Fiyero! Come here!” He crouches down and tries to lure his pet with treats again but Fiyero simply ignores him. Kurt tries to approach him slowly and quietly so he doesn’t startle the cat. He manages to inch closer while Fiyero is distracted with butterflies and bugs flying around. With a quick move he grabs for the cat and manages to catch him by the scruff. He hates doing it but he picks him up like that anyway, causing the animal to hiss at him in a hostile manner.

“Dammit, Fiyero,” Kurt mutters. “Why can’t you just-“

“Hey! What are you doing to the cat?” A voice shouts suddenly. Kurt startles and drops Fiyero who promptly takes off toward the house.

Kurt turns around to find a boy standing barefooted on the terrace. He’s around Kurt’s age and impeccably dressed in high-waters and a polo-shirt, the outfit completed with a bow-tie. Together with his slicked back hair it makes the boy look down-right preppy, but somehow it suits him.

“Uhm.” Kurt says awkwardly. The boy crouches down to the cat which is rubbing its head against his naked ankles.

“Shhh, Bucky, it’s okay. You’re fine,” he says soothingly.

Kurt frowns. Fiyero and the boy seem awfully familiar with each other.

“What are you doing in our garden?” Kurt jumps, he didn’t realize he was being talked to, too focused on his cat pressing up against this stranger.

“That’s my cat.” Kurt explains quickly. “And his name is Fiyero.” He didn’t mean for the last one to have so much bite, but what kind of name is Bucky?

The boy eyes him suspiciously. “How did you even get in here?”

“Oh. My family lived here before you. My cat doesn’t seem to like the new neighbourhood, he keeps running away.”

“This is why you break into strangers gardens? And the cat doesn’t really seem to like you.”

“Oh for god’s sake.” Kurt crouches down. “Fiyero! Fiyero! Come here. Come on!”

The cat continues to ignore him.

“Look,” Kurt says rubbing his palms on his thighs. “I swear it’s mine. We can take it to the vet. It’s chipped, I’m Kurt Hummel, the owner.”

The boy takes a while to process what he just said, looking after the cat that is exploring the terrace

“I’m Blaine,” he finally introduces himself.

“I’ve never seen you around school.”

“Well… I just moved here. I go to a private school in Westerville.”

“Right. Sorry.” Private school. That explains the cute outfit.

“I’m really sorry for breaking into your garden. I know what this must look like.”

Suddenly Blaine smiles at him. “I understand. If that was my cat, I’d miss him too.” He says, scratching behind Fiyero’s ears. Until this point, Kurt didn’t know he had a thing for guys petting cats, but apparently he has, because the way Blaine is with his pet – it’s just heart-meltingly adorable.

Until Kurt spies a bowl with what looks like cat food on the terrace.

“Blaine?” he says carefully, trying to not sound accusing. “Do you have a cat?”

“No, my mom won’t allow it because I’m in the dorms on weekdays and my parents are away on business trips a lot.” He says sadly.

“Are you feeding him?!”

“Wha- oh.” Blaine glances at the bowl sheepishly. “Uhm yes?”

Kurt groans. “God, no wonder he gained like two pounds!”

“I’m sorry! I just, I thought he was a stray or something?”

“Does his fur look like a stray’s to you?” If there’s one thing Kurt and his cat have in common, it’s that they take grooming very seriously.

“I don’t know? The only strays I know are those from ‘The Lady and the Tramp’,” Blaine says apologetically.

Okay. Blaine definitely gets a point for the Disney reference. And for being fond of his pet. And for being cute.

“I didn’t mean to snap at you,” Kurt apologizes.

“It’s okay,” Blaine says good-naturedly, still petting Fiyero who has started purring now. “Like I said, I understand you were worried.”

“He’s been running off for weeks. And he doesn’t even listen to me anymore.” Blaine looks abashed at that, the tips of his ears turning red.

“Yeah, that might be my fault. He didn’t have a tag so I gave him a name. I should have noticed when it took so long for him to start listen to it.”

“Wait… you re-named him? To – what was that? Bucky?” Fiyero perks his ears as if on cue. Well. Since the other boy seemed to have named him that, it actually was his cue. It would take ages to get him used to Fiyero again.

“How did you even come up with that?” Kurt tries to keep the snark out of his voice but the guy kind of deserves it, handsome as he may be. Blaine blushes even deeper.

“Uhm. I named him after Bucky Barnes – you know, from Captain America?” he says awkwardly. “What did you say his name is again?”

“Fiyero. From-“

“Wicked!” Blaine finishes for him.

“You know it?” Suddenly, Kurt’s a lot more interested.

“Of course I do,” Blaine says in a tone as if Kurt had asked if he knew his own name. “It’s cute,” he adds. “Fiyero! Fiyero! Are you a good boy Fiyero?” He scratches the cat’s throat.

“Thank you.” He stands dumbly watching the boy and his cat play on the terrace. Suddenly he remembers that Carole started dinner when he left and if he doesn’t leave soon she’ll start to worry.

He clears his throat to get Blaine’s attention. “Well, I should get going. Can you help me put him in his box.”

“Oh, of course no problem.” He pets down Fiyero’s back one last time, then picks him up. “Come here, big boy.”

“Big boy, indeed,” Kurt murmurs as Blaine follows him to where he left the box next to the door in the fence.

“I’m so sorry, I hope I didn’t make him sick or anything.” Kurt rolls his eyes amusedly.

“He’ll live,” he assures Blaine.

Together they manage to put the cat into its box, and Kurt locks it before his disloyal pet can escape again. “Just, can you stop doing it? I assume he won’t stop coming here soon.”

“Yes, yes of course.”

“But – thank you. That was very sweet of you, other people might have just kicked him out or done worse.”

Blaine smiles at him sweetly.

“There’s no way I could kick someone as cute as that out.” His eyes don’t leave Kurt, and although he knows Blaine was talking about the cat his heart speeds up when Blaine says ‘cute’. Or maybe he wasn’t just talking about the cat, because he’s still looking at Kurt with his warm, hazel eyes.

“Can you give me your number?”

“I-I’m sorry?” Kurt splutters.

“Just – if Fiyero’s here again, so I can tell you. I’ll try to keep an eye on him in the meantime.”

“Oh, sure,” Kurt says, his heart falling. Of course. He scrambles for his phone and hands it to Blaine.

“Also,” the boy adds while he types in his number. “I could use someone local to show me around here. You know, so I know where all the hot spots are,” He says with a grin.

Okay, now he _is_ flirting. “I’m not sure there’s a lot of ‘hot spots’ in Lima,” Kurt laughs. “But of course. Just give me a call?” He pockets the phone Blaine hands him.

“I will.” Blaine says with a finality that sends a shiver down Kurt’s spine.

“Good. Uhm. I should really get going now.”

Blaine withdraws his fingers from where he stuck them through the bars of Fiyero’s cage to pet at him. “I’ll try to remember to call him his real name,” he says bashfully.

“Thank you, I appreciate it. And I know you only meant well.”

“I’m glad you’re not mad or anything,” Blaine says, slowly opening the door for Kurt. They say their goodbyes, Blaine promising to tell Kurt if he sees the cat in his garden again, and Kurt promising to show him around town in exchange.

“Okay,” Kurt says, lifting the cage so he’s eye to eye with the cat once he’s on the street, walking to his car. “I was gonna be mad at you for running off the entire time, but actually –“ he glances back at the house. “You can go here as often as you want. Stay with the nice boy until I come and pick you up.” Fiyero meows quietly in reply. “I take that as an ‘okay’,” Kurt sighs, placing the box on the passenger seat.

A few weeks later, when Blaine asks him out on a date, Fiyero gets an extra large portion of minced meat for dinner.

 

**Author's Note:**

> I've had this idea for months when I saw a report about a cat that kept returning to it's old territory after its owners moved, it was just adorable and I couldn't help turning it into a klaine meet-cute! Big thanks as always to my beta-babes.
> 
> Thank you for reading xx


End file.
